Jasmine Crockett Launches Senate Campaign, Upending Texas Democratic Primary

Representative Jasmine Crockett filed paperwork Monday to run for Senate in Texas, upending a crowded Democratic primary race to compete for Senator John Cornyn's (R) hotly contested seat.

Known for her viral confrontations with Republicans, Crockett was expected to officially launch her campaign Monday after teasing the announcement for months. A second-term congresswoman, Crockett has become a prolific fundraiser because of her incendiary remarks and ubiquitous media presence across various channels.

Crockett joins a Democratic primary field that includes state Representative James Talarico, a progressive Christian who has similarly parlayed viral fame into political clout. The Democratic primary is March 3 and Talarico will be staying in the race. Talarico said in a statement that he welcomes Crockett's entry into the race, emphasizing the need for unity rather than division.

Polls have shown Crockett in the lead over her Democratic primary rivals, a reflection of her support among the Democratic base. But Crockett has performed worse in early general election polls against Republican opposition.

"Jasmine Crockett’s shenanigans are an embarrassment to Texas. Everything's bigger in Texas — except her ability to win this race," Republican National Committee spokeswoman Delanie Bomar said in a statement.

Crockett's decision to run prompted former Representative Colin Allred (D., Texas) to drop out of the primary Monday and launch a congressional campaign. Allred lost to Senator Ted Cruz (R., Texas) by eight points in the general election last year after waging a well-funded challenge that gave Democrats hope for an upset.

The launch video for Crockett's campaign features audio of President Trump repeatedly dismissing her as a "low IQ" individual. Crockett officially kicked off her campaign with a rally in Dallas and adopted the slogan "Texas Tough."

"What we need is for me to have a bigger voice," Crockett said. "We need to make sure that we are going to stop all the hell that is raining down on all of our people."

With 2026 shaping up to be a favorable political environment for Democrats, the dream of turning Texas blue is back in vogue, especially because of a similarly nasty GOP primary taking place. Former Representative Beto O'Rourke lost to Cruz by two points during the 2018 Democratic wave, the closest Democrats have come to achieving their long-held desire to flip the Lone Star State.

Cornyn is fighting for his political life in a contested GOP primary against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Representative Wesley Hunt, both of whom are MAGA stalwarts. Paxton's history of alleged corruption and marital infidelity has not prevented him from running neck-and-neck with Cornyn, a four-term incumbent who previously held a Republican leadership role.

"Crazy Jasmine Crockett is going to lose by double digits in the general, but John Cornyn has ALREADY—nearly six months out from the runoff—stolen $40 million that should have gone to Senate races in Georgia, NC, Michigan, etc," Paxton said in a statement.

"Even after lighting all that money on fire he's still so unpopular in Texas that he's in third place in the primary, unless of course he's paying for the poll. The bottom line is that John Cornyn wants to sacrifice the GOP Senate Majority by spending $100M on his losing primary race. It's beyond selfish, but that's just who he is."

Hunt is not far behind Cornyn and Paxton in primary polls, making the GOP primary a competitive three-way race for Cornyn's seat. It remains to be seen whether Crockett's presence on the Democratic side will impact GOP voters.